


Midnight Channel Souyo Drabbles

by Axelerate13



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Background Chie/Yukiko, Double Drabble, Drabble Collection, M/M, Spoilers For The Entire Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 18:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 6,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1993494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axelerate13/pseuds/Axelerate13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>200 word drabbles inspired by lyrics from the wonderful and sadly C&Ded Midnight Channel: The Musical. Each drabble's lyric and song are in the pre-chapter notes. It all comes together into a Souji/Yosuke story in honor of them all being written on the last day of Tumblr's Souyo Week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Small Town Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "We guess we can't blame the people of this town/for needing their commodities as soon as they please/we say as our liquor shop quietly shuts down/and our tofu shop and barber are brought slowly to their knees." -Small Town Blues. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

He heard the gossip around town, absorbed it like he did the political scandal information. Junes. A giant, giant store with basically anything you’d want to buy. There weren’t many in the cities, but out in the countryside, they dominated. Clearly dominated, if the shuttered storefronts he saw from the car window were any indication. Junes is nearly a curse word on the lips of the townsfolk.

And then there’s the boy. Souji expected him to be cocky, confident, arrogant, but he’s just another kid. Maybe not “just another” kid. How many teenagers drive bikes into trashcans?

Still, it’s a way to meet him. He smiled and introduced himself as Yosuke Hanamura. Before Souji could introduce himself, he said, “You’re Souji Seta, right? We’re in the same class. C’mon, we’re gonna be late!”

When he got there, he realized that not only were they in the same class, he sat right in front of him. Yosuke kicked the back of his chair lightly as class started. He made a startled noise and King Moron went off on him.

Yosuke, huh? He’d be way more attractive if he weren’t a bit of a jerk, but Souji liked him too much already.


	2. When This World Meets That

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What about you, huh, man? Anything to contribute?" -When This World Meets That. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

This guy! This stupid, hot, perfect new guy! It’s not bad enough that he had to have all the girls around him every second, Yosuke fumed to himself, but he can go inside televisions! Not that any of them knew what exactly they were doing in there. Yosuke and Chie bickered about it for some time, but when Yosuke noticed Souji’s lack of input, he turned to the new guy and said, “What about you, huh, man? Anything to contribute?”

Souji’s face flushed and he looked away. Chie pointed out some weird thing in the fog shortly after that they all needed to run away from, so Yosuke didn’t dwell on feeling guilty.

Why should he? He was blamed for Junes by the entire town like he had anything to do with it. Meanwhile, Souji got to be the cool new transfer student. He’d probably have a million friends by the end of the week. Not…Not that Yosuke cared. Really.

And he totally wasn’t hot! What was that even about, he wasn’t hot! Yosuke decided he was just spending too much time with Chie. Maybe Souji would be his friend and they’d bond like real bros. Yeah. Bros. That’s all.


	3. We Got Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If we're useless then really/what is the point of us?" -We Got Nothing. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

A golf club. A golf club and a rope. Souji had no words to describe just how stupid this whole idea was. None.  
Which was exactly why he went along with it.

He’d known Yosuke for all of four days. But between falling into an alternate dimension with him, pulling him out of a trashcan, and that awkward introduction to the girl Yosuke apparently liked, he felt close to him. There had to be something he could do to help.

If he was useless, then what was the point of him? He had to help.

If “help” in this case meant “harass a bear-thing until it tells you how to get where you think you want to go”. Politeness could take a back seat for a while, though. Two women were dead. The walk there was long, leaving Souji to just stare at Yosuke’s back. At the severed end of the rope. How exactly would Chie be killing them when they did return for breaking their lifeline? 

Souji sighed and swung the golf club around. If it was his weapon, he was going to have to get used to it. Who could tell what was out there in the fog?


	4. Semantics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You could never ever understand/No you're just here for a year/Then you're gonna up and disappear" -Semantics. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Reasons Yosuke really wanted to punch this creepy other him in the face:

He was draping himself all over Souji.

He was claiming he didn’t even really like Saki.

He was talking about how Souji had to leave next year like it was some deep betrayal instead of just reality about some guy he barely knew.

Reasons Yosuke couldn’t punch the other him in the face:

He had his tongue halfway down Souji’s throat.

So that was…That was weird. “Get off of him!” He shouted.

The other him pulled back to probably shout insults at him, but Souji yanked him back down and…kept making out with him. Yosuke gaped. “Dude, what the hell?”

Souji pulled back this time, face flushed. The other Yosuke shoved him away. “If he’s going to be here, he may as well amuse me. Right?”

“I don’t use people like that!” Yosuke snapped. “Stop pretending you’re anything like me!”

One awkward time watching Souji battle a frog version of him later, Souji helped him off the ground and said softly, “We can just pretend that never happened.”

Yosuke was in shock. Totally why he said “Let’s not” instead of anything rational. The kiss was worth it.


	5. Partners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And I won't be that needy friend who calls ten times a day/but I don't think that texting will give my fears away" -Partners. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

_Hey, partner. I’m totally calling you partner, by the way. No one will know it means we’re dating. Cool, right?_

_I’m eating. I was starrrrrrving!_

_No steak, though. Reminds me of Chie. We’re still in trouble._

_Partnerrrrrr._

_No more making out with shadows, okay?_

_Not even suepr hot ones._

_*super_

_We totally need to hang out tomorrow._

_Yukiko’ll be fine one more day._

“Souji?”

Souji looked up from his phone straight at the disapproving glare of his uncle.

“Can you not text so much during dinner? It’s a bad example for Nanako.”

“I don’t mind,” Nanako muttered. Dojima didn’t even act like he heard her.

Souji sighed. “I’m not texting back. Just reading them.” His phone buzzed again.

_Let’s just not tell Chie we’re goin on a date instead of saving her girl, ya know?_

Dojima raised an eyebrow. “You can’t be getting that many texts without saying anything back.”

“I can. Believe me, Uncle, I can. I’ll just text back once and then the phone’s gone.”

Dojima nodded, so Souji quickly typed a text of his own.

**Eating too. Tomorrow sounds fun. Use code for TV shows. Miss you too.**

He put his phone away, knowing it’d be understood.


	6. A Fake Kind of Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And when I stand by, they don't just see you/Though I'm a castoff, they see me too" -A Fake Kind of Glory. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Their group was essentially two duos. Souji and Yosuke, and Chie and Yukiko. Or more like Yukiko and Chie. Souji was a lot like Yukiko and he was a lot like Chie. Except the chicks were chicks and had known each other longer than a month. But it was something that crossed Yosuke’s mind when Chie was bothering him during one of his Junes shifts.

“Hey, Chie?”

“I’m not helping.”

“Like I’d want you to. What would you do if Yukiko really did leave town like her Shadow said?”

Chie was quiet for a good while before answering. “I’d follow her. But I don’t think she really wants to leave. We don’t want exactly what our Shadows say, really.” Yosuke nodded and picked up a banana. Chie gave him a confused look as he peeled the banana and then she fumed as he placed the peel on her head.

“So you don’t want to maaaake her stay?”

Chie threw the peel at his face. “Souji’s nowhere near his leaving time, but you are at your hospital time!”

The gag about her Shadow’s head really, really wasn’t worth the running for his life that came next. Or the embarrassment. Or pain.


	7. Birdcage Syndrome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So until he comes for me/I'll be the dream of all you men/be what you want of me" -Birdcage Syndrome. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Yukiko and Souji watched as Chie chased Yosuke through Junes. They were sitting at a table on the roof drinking sodas. “Do you think,” Yukiko asked as the two ran by again, “we should stop them?”

Souji shrugged. “As long as Yosuke’s not seriously injured, he probably deserves it.”

“That’s a little harsh.”

He looked away. “Is it? I’m sorry, we should-“

Yukiko shook her head. “It’s not inaccurate. I just didn’t expect that from you. You seem….”

“Nicer?” She nodded. “I’ll be nicer.”

“Don’t. Just be you.” He looked at her, and she looked at him kindly. “You let us be ourselves around you. You should too.”

Souji didn’t dare say he wasn’t entirely sure how to do that, so he just nodded. It satisfied her, since she went back to her drink.

“…Are you and Chie dating?”

Yukiko’s face turned as red as her sweater. “We’re considering it.”

“Yosuke and I are. I made out with his Shadow.”

“You…pfft, you….hahahahaha!” Yukiko pushed her drink away and practically banged her head on the table doubling over in laughter. “Wh-Why!?”

Souji shrugged. “He started it. And they’re both hot.”

“Soujiiiiii!”

“Yosuke! You’re done running!”

“I twisted an ankle. Dumb banana.”


	8. More Than The Tough Times

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "One day I'll move on and I'll be a good dad/Until that day comes, at least I won't be sad/'cause family's more than the tough times" -More Than The Tough Times. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Sometimes Yosuke wondered about Souji’s parents. He knew they were out of the country on business. He knew Souji transferred a lot because of their work. He just didn’t know what they were like or what Souji thought of them.

He knew Souji was an only child, but with the way Nanako started to follow him around, he was starting to think he really did have a little sister now. He knew from texts that a lot of the time it was just the two of them at home. Some nights her dad was home. And then there was that one weird night where Souji talked about Adachi, that bumbling cop guy, coming over and showing them some magic tricks.

Yosuke had the urge to compare crime spikes to that guy’s shifts.

So even when Yosuke got annoyed that Souji always, always had family obligations that could get in the way of dates, it was better than not having a family that cared much at all. (As Yosuke would learn sometime later, his parents not only didn’t care about a boy moving into his closet, they didn’t notice for the first two months. Teddie wasn’t even that quiet. At all.)


	9. The Bathhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everything's fair/Everything's fine/The things that I have/really are mine" -The Bathhouse. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Kanji’s dungeon left the boys with a lot to think about. On the one hand, they both got to enjoy seeing Kanji shirtless for however much you can enjoy looking at someone beating you half to death. On the other hand, Yosuke had spent the time after talking to Kanji about how totally not gay he was, so don’t hit on him.

Which left Souji sitting on the bank of the Samegawa picking the petals off of a flower.

“He loves me, he loves me not,” he mumbled with each petal.

“Aren’t you a little old for that?”

Souji quickly looked up, clutching his little flower. “Hisano-san!”

The elderly woman laughed softly. “Oh dear, are you having some romantic troubles of your own now?”

Souji nodded. “I’m not sure the person I’m with really likes me or if….if I’m just convenient. Or temporary. Everyone knows I’m moving in March.”

“Does this person make you happy?”

“Very.”

“Then enjoy what time you have together.” She started to walk down the bank again, but stopped and turned back. “Maybe have him bring you one of those Junes cakes of his as an apology for this.” She continued her walk.

“….Y-Yes ma’am. Thanks.”


	10. I Got Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You got nothing/I got nothing?/Did you look at the guy/You got nothing/Adachi, did you even try?" -I Got Something. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

It was a tremendously good morning for Yosuke. The roads were clear, the sky was bright, his bike was actually working. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong.

Until, of course, he got to school and found Kanji, Chie, and Yukiko glaring at him.

“What?”

“Is it your fault Souji-senpai’s moping?”

Yosuke paled. “What happened?” He asked in a panic.

Yukiko put her hand on Kanji’s arm to hold him back. Didn’t stop him from talking, though. “He’s got a pile of flower petals on his desk and he keeps takin’ more off the flowers!”

“…Seriously? That’s not something to worry about. He’s weird sometimes. He tried to eat a clock once.”

“He ain’t eating the flowers! He’s doing that love stuff with them.”

Chie groaned. “Just go talk to him!”

Yosuke got to the classroom and, yes, there was a pile of flower petals on Souji’s desk that reach up to his bangs. “Hey, partner, what’s…with the flowers?”

Souji looked up at him. He looked as if he hadn’t slept. “Are we really partners?”

“Are we…Of course we are.”

“ _Partner_ -partners?”

“Yes, that!”

The tension drained out of Souji’s face. “You owe me a cake.”

“Sure. S’my birthday soon anyway.”


	11. Idols Gone Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Just as long as they love me/everybody loves me/it doesn't matter/if I'm really there" -Idols Gone Wild. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

“Nuh-uh! No way!!”

Souji leaned over to Chie and whispered, “What are they arguing about?”

Chie looked at the newly-arrived Souji. Her smirk made Souji start to regret coming, but he really did when she called out to Yosuke and Rise. “Ask him yourselves!”

They both bounded over him. They talked over each over so Souji only caught pieces of what they were saying.

“Yosuke-senpai was telling—“

“—I’ve been trying for 20 minutes here—“

“He’s not a pimp! He wouldn’t—”

“Just tell her you’re with me!”

Souji stared at them. “I…am not a pimp. But I am dating Yosuke.”

Yosuke looked at her incredulously. “Why would that even make him a pimp?”

“Because you’re a ho,” she said with a sweet smile. Yosuke was almost offended, but Souji and Chie started laughing and Rise’s smile became more genuine. “I’m sorry, Yosuke-senpai, but Chie-senpai offered to buy me dinner if I called you that. You’re really a sweet guy. Take good care of Senpai!” She pecked him on the cheek, then strolled over to Chie.

“Dude, that…was weird.”

“Weirder than me as a pimp?”

“No, but you’d actually dress like one.”

Souji didn’t deny that.


	12. Empty Inside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "But the brighter it gets/the more things fall to bits/and I doubt you can pick up the slack" -Empty Inside. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

It was a good ways into summer before Yosuke’s parents noticed Teddie was living in their son’s room. They may not have ever noticed if Teddie hadn’t left the freezer open in a misguided attempt to become a polar bear. Once they did, they had a talk with Yosuke. One that had him leave halfway through, dragging Teddie out with him, and go straight to Souji’s house. After dumping Teddie down in the living room to watch quiz shows with Nanako, he went upstairs with Souji.

As soon as the door closed, Yosuke launched into it. “My parents hate me.”

Souji didn’t have any idea why. Luckily, Yosuke explained. “They finally noticed Teddie, but they think he’s my boyfriend or something, because they started telling me all this stuff about how I should really get a girlfriend and how weird girls’ll think I am if I’m living with a guy and can we just move here?”

“….”

“Souji?”

“I don’t think my uncle would let you, but maybe if we asked really nicely and you did yardwork…”

“I didn’t really mean it. I just need a break before I go back and kinda correct them.”

“That I can give you.”


	13. We're Doing This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "look at us/building our team of heroes" -We're Doing This. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

“Let me get this straight. Your story for why Teddie is living with you was….”

“Yup.” Yosuke grinned. “Straight out of a manga. French mom in France, abandoned by his rich family here because he wants to seek her out, and they’re meeting here when she can get over!” 

“…That doesn’t sound like any manga I’ve heard of.”

“I didn’t copy it directly, partner, I’m not an idiot.”

“Sure,” Souji said warmly, kissing his forehead, “you’re not.”

Yosuke snuggled closer to him. “I don’t care if that was making fun of me or not. I’m just glad to get time with you.”

Souji felt his guilt return. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy making sure Rise and Kanji feel like part of the team, and I have clubs and my after-school jobs, and of course now I’ve got evening jobs…..”

“Hey.”

Souji looked at him again.

“Breathe. Don’t worry about that stuff right now. Just pay attention to me, forget the team.”

“Selfish.”

“I know you’re teasing, so now I’m teasing you!”

“H-Hey, Yosuke, that’s not teasing, that’s…that’s tickling! S-Stoooop!”

Yosuke tackled Souji onto the floor and kept tickling his sides. Even heroes needed time to unwind with their significant others.


	14. Put The Drunk To Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sorry about your uncle, Nanako-chan/and you, I didn't mean to bring him home like this" -Put The Drunk To Bed. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Yosuke looked up from his homework at the jingle of his text alert. From Souji, of course.

**You won’t believe what’s happening here.**

_What?_

**Adachi brought my uncle home drunk.**

That was an oddly ambiguous sentence for someone as concise as Souji usually was. He must be angry.

_Who’s drunk?_

**My uncle.**

Before Yosuke could type anything, a rare second text in a row came in.

**No, both of them. Adachi just called him Nanako’s uncle.**

_Wow, that’s rough. What’re you doing about it?_

**Glaring at Adachi until he takes him upstairs and leaves.**

_Is that working?_

**Yes.**

_Great. Poor Nanako, though. Must suck seein her dad like that._

Before Yosuke even read the next text, he ended up getting three in a row.

**Promise me you won’t drink in front of any kids/cats we might possibly eventually have.**

**If you wanted to and if everything**

***works out. Hit enter by accident.**

Yosuke smiled.

_I promise. How many cats?_

**Four.**

Souji wanted four cats!? …Well, it was just hypothetical, but even a fake future with Souji made Yosuke want to blush.

_You clean the litter box. All the time._

**I promise. You change diapers. G2g, good night, sweet dreams!**

_Glaaaaaaaare._


	15. King's Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I appreciate this invite but I really can't dismiss/You've been at each turn and clearly something is amiss" -King's Game. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

The room was spinning! It was soooo, so coooool!

“Partner, stop giggling.”

“I’m not!!” Souji giggled again. “I’m just happy! The room is spinning and Kanji and Teddie are having fun on the ground—“

“No, Kanji is trying to clean the drunk bear germs off his mouth.”

“—and little boy blue is being all pouty and cute!”

Naoto, attempting to hide underneath the hat that was probably worn for that exct purpose, blushed all red. “I-I am not pouting!”

“HA!”

“…Ha?”

“You didn’t object to being cute!” Souji grinned and pointed at Naoto. “Therefore, you! Are! Cute!!!”

Yosuke sighed. “I’m really sorry, Naoto. I think being a lightweight runs in the family.”

“It may. It may not. I’m more concerned about drugs.”

“Drugs?! Partner doesn’t take any—”

“You misunderstand. I think someone drugged us. This club hasn’t served alcohol in years, so this,” and Naoto used air quotes, “’drunken stupor’ might be drug-related.”

Yosuke looked at the affected. Yukiko, Teddie, Souji, Rise. “No. They’re just…excitable weirdos. I doubt there’s drugs.”

Naoto’s eyes narrowed. “Your little group is always around the oddest things. I’ll be seeing you again soon.”

“Greaaaaaat.”

“Oh! There’s a bird!!”

“Partner, that’s a light.”


	16. Everybody Gather 'Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And know that/Life is tough/and then you're dead/so always speak out loud" -Everybody Gather 'Round. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

“I am going to punch that Naoto for having such a hard dungeon!”

“Yosuke-senpai, that’s the eight time you’ve said that. On this floor.”

“And I mean it!” Rise sighed. “I mean it!”

“Sure you do. Where’s Senpai anyway? He should calm you down.”

Teddie looked up from polishing his claws. “Sensei went down that corridor a while ago.”

Rise’s eyes widened. “Teddie, why didn’t you say anything?!”

“It was beary obvious. He even had some shadows with him!”

Oh, that was not good. Yosuke raced down the hallway, whipped around a turn, and nearly tripped over his partner. Teddie with the help of a still-injured Kanji went bear-serk on the shadows. Yosuke knelt down beside his partner, trying to block out the injuries he didn’t want to acknowledge. “Partner, what the hell!”

Souji struggled to form a weak smile. “Ambushed. It…It hurts.”

“Teddie!! Shit, partner, why didn’t you let me keep Diarama, TEDDIE!!”

Teddie dodged an attack by inches and ran over to them. Yosuke stood, grabbing his kunai. “I’m going to kill those shadows. Heal him!”

“Roger!”

“Partner, don’t…” Yosuke bit his lip, but ran into battle before he said what he thought:

_Don’t die. I love you._


	17. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I don't think you're a liar/I don't think you're a crook/but if I'm in the dark here, I can't get you off the hook" -Interrogation. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

That jerk Adachi wouldn’t let Yosuke in to see him, despite Yosuke having followed Dojima’s car all the way in on his bike. So Souji sat on the bed of the interrogation room and faced the tiny television that had just given him the scare of his life.

He’d seen Nanako there.

Not only was his honorary little sister in danger, but his uncle thought he was a criminal! He’d said some odd things, though. Things about getting him off the hook. Dojima wouldn’t help cover up a crime, would he? No. He must have misunderstood. That was probably a trick to get him to confess.

He heard a loud banging on the door. “Souji, Naoto just called me! Nanako’s missing!!”

Souji’s blood ran cold. He heard Adachi saying something but he didn’t listen to him. “She was just on TV.”

“I know, I heard! Listen, it will be okay!”

“Everyone’s trying to find her?”

“Yea-“

“ADACHI!” Dojima’s shout was loud even through the steel door. “GET OVER HERE!”

“Adachi-san,” Yosuke pulling out the respect card there, “unlock Souji’s door first?”

He didn’t hear the response, but a moment later, Yosuke was inside the room and stroking his hair gently.


	18. To Save You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hush now/quiet/don't put up a fight/if you'd just calm down you'd see that it will be alright" -To Save You. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Everyone knew that Heaven would be the hardest dungeon they’d have to go through. They all wanted to rescue Nanako as quickly as possible. But Souji was far from the level-headed leader he usually was. He used up all his SP healing and demanding they keep climbing beyond their usual limits.

Yukiko tugged on Yosuke’s sleeve after a particularly grueling battle. “Yosuke, please talk to Souji. We need to go home. It’s getting late.”

“How late?”

“Rise’s timer says it’s past sundown outside.”

Yosuke hissed. “I’ll get him.” He walked up to the front of the group and grabbed Souji’s free hand.

“What?” Souji said tersely.

Yosuke smiled. “Hey, partner, can we take a breather? I want to talk to you.”

Souji tried to tug himself free. “We don’t have time.”

“We do. Just sit down with me.”

Souji was still reluctant, but Yosuke moved him bit by bit until they were sitting on the ground next to the vine up to the next level.

“Partner, you need to calm down. ”

“But-“

“Hush.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously. You’re going to spend five minutes relaxing.”

“Make me.”

Yukiko came in to see Yosuke smiling triumphantly on the lap of a sleeping Souji.


	19. More Than The Tough Times (Reprise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "*hic* *crying noises* *sob*" -More Than The Tough Times (Reprise). Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

The flatline is all Souji can hear.

That’s it.

The doctor, after a moment, after the moment when Dojima burst into the room seconds too later, shut off the monitor.

Souji sat by her bedside until a gentle hand on his shoulder startled him. He looked up at Yosuke, who had tears dripping down his face but who still cracked a smile. Something meant to comfort, but with no joy behind it. “They need us out of the room. Can you get up?”

He didn’t remember Yosuke ever coming in. 

Yosuke walked him out of the room. Rise is at their side as soon as he walks out and squeezes him tightly. Kanji and Naoto are leaning on the wall, more angry than sad. Chie and Yukiko are hugging each other and crying, holding back when he arrives.

“Where-“ his voice cracked, but he tried again. “Where’s my uncle?”

Kanji said, “He roughed up Adachi a little then ran off.” 

Souji’s brow crinkled, so Naoto added, “He made Adachi tell him where Namatame’s room is.”

“Where?”

“It’s do-“

“We’re going.”

The team all looked at him, but he wasn’t crying. Tears would come after he saw that bastard as well.


	20. Captain, Oh, Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It’s the end, don’t you see/Come on, partner/I know you’re with me!" -Captain, Oh, Captain. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Yosuke was seeing red.

His partner was apparently in shock, because they were face to face with Namatame, who had just showed up on the TV bragging about how he’d get away with everything, and he still hadn’t moved from his spot by the door.

Yosuke knew a lot about his partner. He knew how much Nanako meant to him, he knew how worried he had been the night she was kidnapped, and he had basically just carried him away from Nanako after… after the end. So. In a room alone with this bastard, he knew what he would want.

“It’s just one push.” He said into the flurry of shouts that the room had become. “Just one push, and we’re done.”

The girls all started saying they needed to stop, but the guys—okay, the guys and Naoto, really just Kanji and Naoto—backed up him. The tiebreaker was, as always, Souji.

Yosuke got wrapped up in it. He wanted this, wanted vengeance, so he used every trick in his admittedly small book to get Souji to agree short of licking his ear. He just wasn’t coming around fast enough.

“I _know_ you’re with _me_!”

“Shut the HELL up!!”


	21. Lines in the Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "call me a coward if you wish/I don’t care anymore" -Lines in the Sand. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

At first, Souji was taken in.

Sure, there were questions, but there was also a dead seven year old. That trumped any argument the girls were making about mercy.

Naoto led with the suggestion and Yosuke whipped the room into a frenzy. There’s something interesting about how easily he can control a room when he put his mind to it, but it’s not something Souji had time to think about. He was under Yosuke’s spell as well. He started to consider the idea until…

Until something in his mind snapped free. It’s like being released from a trance. The moment Yosuke’s voice goes from seductive to fierce, the order in his voice when his plea to push Namatame in ends with him turning to Souji and shouting “I know you’re with me!”

It’s arrogant and angry and it’s not his partner. 

He found his own voice again.

He spoke back, argued with tears in his eyes.

“Call me a coward if you wish. I don’t care anymore.” 

He shoved Yosuke’s hand off of his arm as he stormed out of the hospital room, barely muttering an apology to Adachi, and went back to what had been Nanako’s room so recently.


	22. Putting It Out There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This all started when you arrived/I don't think we should rule out anyone/just because they've been by our side" -Putting It Out There. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Nanako’s recovery was a miracle, but it didn’t change the facts that were uncovered afterwards. Yosuke knew Souji wanted to stay with her, even though they had to keep searching for the truth. For who the killer really was. The couple stood outside Aiya that snowy night, thinking, when Naoto stepped outside to join them.

“Pardon me for interrupting, but there’s something I need to ask you, Senpai.”

“Go ahead.”

“You aren’t the killer, are you?”

Souji didn’t even flinch. “No, I’m not.”

“OF COURSE HE’S NOT!” Yosuke’s outburst startled some diners inside, but he didn’t care. “How dare you accuse him!?”

“Yosuke-senpai, see this rationally. The murders started almost exactly when he arrived in town. It’s not something we should overlook. No matter how close someone is to you, that does not make them innocent.”

“Naoto, you’d better go back inside!”

Souji looked sympathetically at Naoto. “I’ll calm him down.”

Naoto ducked back inside. Souji walked over to his steaming boyfriend and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s okay. It’d be pretty obvious if I left fake threat letters for myself.”

“Who did send those anyway? They’re the prime suspect.”

Souji blinked. “We never found out. Adachi took them….”


	23. Blind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "and though I don't quite want to go through it/it's time to tell and show" -Blind. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

The team is running as one unit back to the hospital, snow blowing in their faces. Souji ran nearly diagonally, shouting his realizations back at the team. 

“He’s always at our house, so no one would have thought it odd if he was at our mailbox! Cops can go anywhere and they’d be the opposite of suspicious! It all makes sense!”

Rise shouted back over the wind, “Isn’t he your uncle’s friend? Why would he do that to poor Nanako!!”

Naoto answered instead. “The victims are whoever shows up on TV. Adachi probably just found out from Dojima that the little girl that politician talked to was Nanako and took advantage of our confusion!”

Souji looked at Yosuke and said, in a normal voice that in the storm was nearly inaudible, “He was my friend too. Weird, but a nice guy. Maybe I’m wrong.”

“If you are,” Yosuke shouted back, “you’re making his lunches until you leave!”

Souji smiled. They’d find out the truth soon enough. The hospital sign’s glow was getting closer. As they neared the door, they heard Dojima yell, “What do you mean, Namatame’s been transferred, Adachi!?”

Coincidences this deep into a case just do not exist.


	24. Bitches and Whores

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do we really need reasons/like dead gods and demons/to prove we can kill?" -Bitches and Whores. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Yosuke listened to Adachi’s explanation of why he killed Saki calmly. Very calmly. So very. fucking. calmly. Souji tugged their joined hands closer to him, which was their previously agreed upon sign that Yosuke was breaking the bones in Souji’s hand by squeezing so hard.

He couldn’t help the rage, though. He might have idealized her in life, but he knew her better now. Saki had her own problems. She was someone trying to live her life. And, thanks to the hologram magic thing Adachi created, it was obvious she was someone who wouldn’t take shit from someone who overstepped her boundaries.

He wondered what Saki had really thought of him. The real Saki, not the shadow that might have been her, might have been his own insecurities. If they could’ve been friends if he hadn’t been so busy flirting. If she would have teased him about Souji or helped them sneak into the break room.

The worst part was that Adachi didn’t blame his power. It was the method of murder, but not the motive. He would have done it some other way if it was easy enough.

During their fight, a green tornado slammed Adachi into the ground.


	25. Black and White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Time and again rise the cries of men/begging for it all to stop/when faced with the light/they cower in fright/and wait for the darkness to drop" -Black and White. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

No one really knew what to say after defeating Adachi. Not because there wasn’t anything to say. No, the reason no one knew was because he was suddenly enveloped in black fog, spoke in a different voice, then mutated into…

“Yosuke-senpai, get real! That’s totally a disco ball!”

“Rise, for the last time, what kind of disco ball has an eye?”

Souji sighed. “Everyone guard again! It’s apparently the disco ball eye that shoots laser beams a lot!”

Rise stuck her tongue out at Yosuke, who rolled his eyes but smiled back at her.

“Yosuke, I said guard!”

“I’m guarding, I’m guarding!”

Yukiko yelled from behind Rise, “When is this going to be over? There’s a whole army trying to get at you five and Teddie, Kanji, and I can’t hold them off forever!”

The eyeball’s voice boomed over them, “Do you accept that mankind fear the light and wants the darkness to-“

“No,” Souji yelled back, “we do NOT, for the eighteenth time in a row!”

There was a shout on Souji’s left and he groaned loudly. “Kanji, when I say guard, EVERYONE GUARD! Yosuke, grab a revival bead.” Souji sighed. This was going to be a long fight.


	26. Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "No his motive's not important/or the fact he's my friend/how he hid the evidence doesn't mean much in the end/and sometimes you've got to break it til it bends" -Something. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

It didn’t feel like a victory, dragging Adachi back to the real world. Personally, Yosuke was on team “shoot him repeatedly and heal him repeatedly before we bring him back”, but Souji just wanted to get out of there. Near the elevators were two cops and two EMTs with a stretcher.

“Special request from Detective Dojima, kids. We’re to take him down on this,” the taller EMT said.

Yosuke and Kanji shifted him over to their custody and actual handcuffs. The higher-ranking of the two cops asked Naoto to come with them to give a statement. Kanji went along too. No one was in any shape to be alone after two fights like those.

The remaining six stood in silence until Souji abruptly said, “I wonder why he sent a stretcher after all that.”

Rise wagged her finger at him. “It’s obvious! They were friends! And partners too. You’d do that for Yosuke-senpai even if he betrayed you!”

“That’s different! We’re going out. They weren’t. Right, Souji?”

“….”

“Souji?”

“I hope they weren’t. It’d be hard enough to lose a friend like that.”

The team fell back into contemplative silence, all realizing how lucky they were to have each other.


	27. Here At The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I don't mean to sound bitter/but since when were you a quitter?" -Here At The End. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

“So…it’s really over.”

Souji had gathered the entire team at the roof of Junes. It was his last day in town, and while he’d said goodbyes to everyone individually, the team as one deserved its final meeting.

Yosuke, however, didn’t agree. “It’s really not.”

“Yosuke-senpai, for the last time,” Kanji banged the table for emphasis. “There. Are. No. Loose. Ends!”

“Then how did he get in the TV in the first place?”

Everyone looked at Souji. “…I heard a weird voice, it told me to touch the TV, and my hand went through.”

“See?” Chie said, “all solved!”

“It is not!” Yosuke looked away, but then blinked. “Am I the only who seeing the guy in the white, sequined jumpsuit?”

The others looked in that direction. “Teddie sees him too!”

The guy sighed. “I’m here ta deliver a letter Adachi left you kids. He said it’s reeeeeal important you got it. It better be, what with the chief making me do this while I’m off-duty.” Souji took the letter. It felt…important. And old. The paper was starting to yellow.

“So you waited 3 months to give it to us?!” Yosuke shouted, but the weirdly dressed cop was already running away.


	28. Partner's Reprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "But then I came to this town/and in it I met you/you opened up my eyes to all the things that we could do" -Partner's Reprise. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

The others were all leaving on their info-gathering missions, but Souji told him to stick around a moment.

“Yeah, partner? This a thanks for figuring out we missed all that?”

“No. It’s an apology.”

“Apology accepted.”

“You don’t even know what I’m apologizing for.”

“What, then?”

“For leaving.”

Yosuke seriously looked at Souji and noticed just how fidgety he was being. “Not like you could help it.”

“I know, but…listen. When I was younger, I never really had any friends. But when I came here and met you, I felt like I really could do something important just by being near you.”

Yosuke’s face flushed, and got even worse when Souji added, “I still felt that way after your Shadow assaulted me.” 

“I’m still sorry about that!”

“It’s fine. It all worked out. But thank you, Yosuke. And….” Souji’s face turned red. Yosuke grinned. He’d said it before and he’d say it again, but it always made Souji embarrassed to say those three words.

“I love you.”

Yosuke hugged him tightly. “I love you too. You’re gonna text me so much your phone breaks, okay?”

“Yours too. We can get matching phones then.”

“Sounds perfect.”

They let go, search commencing.


	29. Gas Station Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "But now you want truth/and truth comes with baggage/so make sure it's really truth that you seek" -Gas Station Confrontation. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Funny. He would have sworn the gas station attendant was a man. But no, apparently he was actually a she and she was actually the goddess Izanami. Maybe he should have gotten his friends before running all the way over to confront her.

“You played your role, but now you want the truth? Truth,” she said, “comes with baggage.”

I can handle it, he thought. Thinking was a rather stupid thing to do, since the brainpower he spent being so super confident about his ability to handle it was diverted from listening to her. The next thing he caught was a challenge.

“Seek me if you dare, child of man.” At which point, she floated off of the ground. Something—the storm or her might—forced him to one knee. 

When she left, his team came running up. “Was that lady floating?!” Chie asked.

“Who was that?” Yukiko said.

“Partner, are you okay?”

He stood up again. “I’m fine. We’re spending all our money on armor, then whatever’s leftover on weapons.”

“You mean…”

“Yes. We have one more space to clear out in there before I can go.”

Yosuke grinned. “Who’re we fighting?”

“Izanami.”

“Oh, easy peasy. …Wait, the GODDESS?!”


	30. Prove To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Take the boy who sought amusement/now he seeks to stay at your side" -Prove To Me. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

He moved on instinct when they got to Izanami’s lair. The fight went well apart from an awkward moment when Kanji tried to hit her with Ziodyne and it healed her. Yosuke stay as close to Souji as possible. He was leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow. Today should have been a day of long, long farewells, not of fighting goddesses for the fate of the world.

Souji was about to go home. He deserved to go home. So when the shadowy hands surged up from the floor underneath his partner, Yosuke didn’t even need to think. He bodily shoved Souji out of the way, his glasses flying off and clattering on the ground.

“YOSUKE!”

Souji grabbed his hand and pulled, pulled hard, but it wasn’t doing anything. Yosuke smiled up at him, thinking _be cool, be brave, it’s your last chance to be his hero._

He kept that brave smile on until the shadows covered his face. Then he let his fear take him over. Or, more accurately, he attempted to. All he felt was peace, all he saw was darkness. Funny how he couldn’t even be scared when he knew he’d kept Souji safe. Funny what love can do to someone.


	31. Maybe That's The Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "How do you cope/when somebody dies and you're making goodbyes/and praying for those beautiful/fog-colored lies" -Maybe That's The Point. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

He was supposed to go back to the city tomorrow.

He couldn’t even look up.

The room was empty now, apart from Izanami’s laughter. Everyone…Everyone had……

Yosuke’s glasses were in his hand. 

“Do you see what your truth has brought you? Nothing but pain,” the goddess’s voice echoed in the chamber.

“Take it back,” Souji mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Take it back. I don’t want the truth anymore. Not…Not without them! Not without my friends, not without Yosuke….” 

Souji was, after all, only a teenager. Seeing his friends die en masse for him was not something he could ever prepare for.

Thankfully, he wasn’t alone. One stinging slap in the face hit him, along with the voices of his friends living and dead. Yosuke’s ringing out loudest, “Don’t go. Everything inside me changed after I met you. You can keep going for me, right, partner? …I love you, so you can’t give up now!” 

Souji managed to stand and accept the whole truth.

But when his friends were returned to him, their deaths nothing more than another illusion, Souji nearly jumped off the platform to strangle Izanami. He didn’t even try, though. That would involve moving out of Yosuke’s embrace.


	32. The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "we've always been here for you/and she can hear our voices too/and see the links that we have tied/we're by your side" -Maybe That's The Point. Song by Ryan and Leigh Composing.

Yosuke woke up the morning of Souji’s departure in his partner’s arms. Dojima had given his permission, especially seeing how exhausted and clingy the boys were, but had repeatedly mentioned how Nanako’s was so very close by. He didn’t even need to. They had fallen asleep the moment they’d laid down.

Yosuke kissed Souji softly until he heard a soft groan and felt Souji kiss him back. Yosuke pulled back enough to kiss Souji’s cheek. “Hey, handsome,” he muttered.

“Hey, bedhead,” Souji said. His voice wasn’t as bright in his teasing as it usually was. Yosuke wasn’t going to get upset about that, though. There was good reason for it. They got up and got the last of Souji’s possessions packed. Souji’s hand got to the doorknob, but Yosuke put his hand over it.

“Partner. Make me a promise?”

“Name it.”

“Watch the Midnight Channel with me every night we can.”

He let out a light chuckle. “It won’t work anymore. We stopped it.”

“But when it rains, won’t you want to?”

“….Yeah.”

“I’ll do it too. Everyone will. We’ll be there by your side no matter where you go, partner.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

“That is music to my ears, partner.”


End file.
